Olympus 300mm f4 - What am I doing wrong?

[Phocal]

You see the shooting distance in your EXIF? As in the focal length? And you have the mark II? Odd that it’s not showing in mine. I’ll take a look when I get home

Ive only had the EM1.2 since December. I’ll check some shots with my EM5.2 and 40-150 to see how they are.

The EXIF will contain the focus distance, which is the distance to subject. I am using EXIF Tool but it is not showing the focus distance, I know it is in there somewhere. With my files it will also show me the DoF range as well as give the circle of confusion. But Olympus changed some things in the mk2 that I know was causing problems with Focus Tune. Someone here sent them a RAW file and they were able to fix Focus Tune, so I know focus distance is in the EXIF because Focus Tune needs it.

 

[jbinco]

@mrjoemorgan Have you checked that the lenses are not decentered? That is the first thing I test when I get a lens. There are a bunch of ways to check but I think Roger's method is the easiest.

 

[Harvey Melvin Richards]

I have had my 300 f/4.0 since it was first released. It is probably my 2nd most used lens (usually with the MC-14). I have struggled with it since day 1. Originally I was using it on EM-10’s, but I got the EM-1 Mk II when it came out. Big improvements with the later (as I expected), but still issues. I sent it to Olympus Repair towards the end of the warranty and they said that they “adjusted it”. I saw minor improvements. The lens can be very sharp, but not always. @alex g and I have compared problems and he seemed to reach the same conclusion with his copy.

If I use the close focus (1.4 to 4 m) I have no issues other than user error. In fact this lens is my favorite for a lot of insects.

For S and A priority I use SAF and I have Release Priority on. I also use the small focus square, usually in the center somewhere. My primary issue with the lens is there are time where I cannot get it to focus, and yet I can still take the photo. I can often tell there is a problem while taking the photo, but other times I don’t see it until I import to LR.

I took this photo on January 1st. I was close, light was fairly good, the bird was being cooperative and wasn’t moving. I took at least 8 shots, and there was nothing in focus, this image was the only one close. This is uncropped and should have been an easy focus. I have shot it much worse conditions and had better results.

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

EM127737-1 by Harvey Richards, on Flickr

 

[Mack]

I have had my 300 f/4.0 since it was first released. It is probably my 2nd most used lens (usually with the MC-14). I have struggled with it since day 1. Originally I was using it on EM-10’s, but I got the EM-1 Mk II when it came out. Big improvements with the later (as I expected), but still issues. I sent it to Olympus Repair towards the end of the warranty and they said that they “adjusted it”. I saw minor improvements. The lens can be very sharp, but not always. @alex g and I have compared problems and he seemed to reach the same conclusion with his copy.

If I use the close focus (1.4 to 4 m) I have no issues other than user error. In fact this lens is my favorite for a lot of insects.

For S and A priority I use SAF and I have Release Priority on. I also use the small focus square, usually in the center somewhere. My primary issue with the lens is there are time where I cannot get it to focus, and yet I can still take the photo. I can often tell there is a problem while taking the photo, but other times I don’t see it until I import to LR.

I took this photo on January 1st. I was close, light was fairly good, the bird was being cooperative and wasn’t moving. I took at least 8 shots, and there was nothing in focus, this image was the only one close. This is uncropped and should have been an easy focus. I have shot it much worse conditions and had better results.

View attachment 798552 EM127737-1 by Harvey Richards, on Flickr

Harvey, have you tried setting the Focus Limiter in the menu to a closer range and not the default of 999.9 feet? Could be the thing is spinning off to the clouds even though the green square is on the bird at that distance. Maybe try setting 200.0 feet in the Focus Limiter.

Somewhere on here I fired off a shot of a hummer sitting on a branch and every shot's focus in the high-speed burst sequence was at some other focus point. The DOF is so shallow with the 300mm that it shows up in FastRawViewer as a missed focus shot. Close, but no cigar.

Even when I AF fine tune these things with the Micheal Tapes FocusTune software, it changes focus with every shot to some degree in the printout. My Nikons do it too with the FoCal software. Not an exact science yet.

Also, I have a very bad habit of taking my finger off the shutter and then stabbing it to shoot (Bad habit of me shooting with a quiet Olympus body with models who don't hear the click so they watch my finger to know when I've taken the shot - maybe.). I see the AF square where I want it, and then I release and then stab the shutter. On playback, the green AF square is somewhere else, but that is my error. I've done it too in the FocusTune software where the camera will drop out of C-AF and into S-AF (It shouldn't do that!) and then it shows up doing that in the EXIF data. It's a bad technique and habit I need to break, and happens even if I use a wired release too. Just keep pressing it down and don't let go of it, and don't let the green AF dot in the upper right blink off as it will likely change focus to someplace else.

 

[Henk van Slooten]

mrjoemorgan, post: 1350046, member: 30783"]
NEW TESTS
Tripod. 300mm + 1.4.
12 second with anti-shock. S-IS 1 on the camera. Lens IS was ON. Small single AF point

Why did you use IS when shooting from a tripod?
Manufacturers do not recommend that, because you actually generate vibrations in the camera-lens combination.

 

[Phocal]

Why did you use IS when shooting from a tripod?
Manufacturers do not recommend that, because you actually generate vibrations in the camera-lens combination.

Yes, they still say to turn it off but it is just a hold over from the early days of image stabilization when it was needed. In the last 10 years I have not turned off my IS and have never seen a problem, even doing multi minute images.

 

[Harvey Melvin Richards]

Harvey, have you tried setting the Focus Limiter in the menu to a closer range and not the default of 999.9 feet? Could be the thing is spinning off to the clouds even though the green square is on the bird at that distance. Maybe try setting 200.0 feet in the Focus Limiter.

Somewhere on here I fired off a shot of a hummer sitting on a branch and every shot's focus in the high-speed burst sequence was at some other focus point. The DOF is so shallow with the 300mm that it shows up in FastRawViewer as a missed focus shot. Close, but no cigar.

Even when I AF fine tune these things with the Micheal Tapes FocusTune software, it changes focus with every shot to some degree in the printout. My Nikons do it too with the FoCal software. Not an exact science yet.

I will give it a try. I hate the way it works though. To use the in camera Focus Limiter, the lens has to be set to the middle focus setting, 1.4 m to ∞. It's just one more thing to tweak when I am in a hurry and trying to not miss the opportunity.

 

[roelwillems]

NEW TESTS
Tripod. 300mm + 1.4.
12 second with anti-shock. S-IS 1 on the camera. Lens IS was ON. Small single AF point

I would recommend redoing the test with IBIS turned off.

IBIS can in it self make images blurry when activated but the camera is on a sturdy tripod certainly when also lens IS is also on. The gyroscopes in the IBIS and IS systems always have some noise in their signal which can cause the IBIS/IS starting to compensate where there in fact is no motion at all. If both are active in this situation they could be trying to compensate based on noise and try to compensate each other where there isn’t any compensation needed. Resulting in less sharp results.

 

[Phocal]

I would recommend redoing the test with IBIS turned off.

IBIS can in it self make images blurry when activated but the camera is on a sturdy tripod certainly when also lens IS is also on. The gyroscopes in the IBIS and IS systems always have some noise in their signal which can cause the IBIS/IS starting to compensate where there in fact is no motion at all. If both are active in this situation they could be trying to compensate based on noise and try to compensate each other where there isn’t any compensation needed. Resulting in less sharp results.

The only images take from a tripod are the Tide bottle (which all look fine) and those of the tree (which I can't really tell what is going on with them anyways). It's the bird shots that the problem really shows its self, those where shot handheld.

 

[roelwillems]

Agree, it’s just a remark for further testing as IBIS tripod combinations could result in less sharp images.

 

[mrjoemorgan]

More Examples - EM1 Mark II - 40-150 w/ 1.4x
Robins look good
The squirrel looks like its focusing on the body and the face is out of focus - is that a focus point pilot issue?
Swan photos - one looks like the focus is off, or could be pilot error, other looks okay

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

 

[mrjoemorgan]

Other Camera Examples - EM5.2 with 40-150 and 1.4x

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

 

[mrjoemorgan]

@jeffbuzz thanks for the link, ill do some tests today using that star chart

@Henk van Slooten I actually never heard about that. Is that still a thing?

@roelwillems - ill turn IBIS off when I do tests as well and see what happens

@Phocal I'm going to go do some more tests today of BIF handheld as they seem to be the worst. Ill test all lens combos with MC14. I might also see if the local camera store will let me borrow another EM1.2 to see if its the camera. Haven't ordered that software yet, but will do on Monday, just waiting to hear back from Olympus, they might ask me to send everything in to take a look.

Thanks everyone again for your thoughts and suggestions, I really appreciate it.

 

[Phocal]

@Phocal I'm going to go do some more tests today of BIF handheld as they seem to be the worst. Ill test all lens combos with MC14. I might also see if the local camera store will let me borrow another EM1.2 to see if its the camera. Haven't ordered that software yet, but will do on Monday, just waiting to hear back from Olympus, they might ask me to send everything in to take a look.

Hope you get this all figured out. There is something going on, just can't put my finger on it.

 

[mrjoemorgan]

Did a test with the Zeiss Star Chart on my laptop screen - probably not the most scientific but thought it might be interesting.

All on the tripod. All with IBIS and Lens IS on. All Anti Shock 12s.

Test 1 - 40-150mm (at 150mm) - SAF, CAF then Manual slightly off

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Test 2 - 40-150mm (at 150mm) + MC-14 - SAF, CAF then Manual slightly off

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Test 3 - 300mm - SAF, CAF then Manual slightly off

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Test 4 - 300mm + MC-14 - SAF, CAF then Manual slightly off

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

 

[mrjoemorgan]

Hope you get this all figured out. There is something going on, just can't put my finger on it.

Thank you, I hope so too. And thanks again for all your help. Is there an exif viewer you use? I cant see subject distance using Mac preview. Also, does m43 not give focus point and focus type in exif? I remember when I used to use Canon in Lightroom and Aperture it would show me the focus point and focus type (SAF, CAF etc)

 

[Phocal]

Thank you, I hope so too. And thanks again for all your help. Is there an exif viewer you use? I cant see subject distance using Mac preview. Also, does m43 not give focus point and focus type in exif? I remember when I used to use Canon in Lightroom and Aperture it would show me the focus point and focus type (SAF, CAF etc)

I normally just look it up in the file info in Photoshop but recently downloaded EXIF Tool and I can't find the focus distance in a mk2 image. As to the focus point, when I was using Aperture it was there (at least with the original EM1 and EM5). Lightroom never has (well since I switched back to it) but there is a plugin you can get that will show it but I don't think that plugin works with Mac. Currently Lightroom doesn't show me focus mode but does show Exposure Program aka Aperture/shutter/manual priority.

 

[mrjoemorgan]

I normally just look it up in the file info in Photoshop but recently downloaded EXIF Tool and I can't find the focus distance in a mk2 image. As to the focus point, when I was using Aperture it was there (at least with the original EM1 and EM5). Lightroom never has (well since I switched back to it) but there is a plugin you can get that will show it but I don't think that plugin works with Mac. Currently Lightroom doesn't show me focus mode but does show Exposure Program aka Aperture/shutter/manual priority.

That’s right. Aperture has it and LR doesn’t. I’ll take a look around for Mac based plugins or EXIF viewers, see what I can find.

 

[mrjoemorgan]

I’m going to do some more tests this weekend. Thinking BIF tests with all lens combos and with / without IBIS. Maybe with and without Lens IS too

 

[AndyT]

If you are shooting handheld why the anti shock ? I thought it was only meant to kick in at shutter speeds of less than 1/320 (according to the manual), but I have just set mine to 1/1250, C-AF with a 4 sec anti shock and sure enough it kicks in ? This on my M1 II with 12-100.

Hopefully I have not been drinking too much wine tonight ...............